


Lights, Camera, Action

by HellenwithtwoLs



Category: The Maze Runner (2014), The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types, The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Celebrity, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Celebrity Crush, Co-workers, Crushes, Film star AU, Fluffy, Jealous Newt, M/M, Minho Ships It, Minho the fangirl, One-sided Thomas/Brenda, Socially Awkward Thomas, kind of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-02
Updated: 2015-07-19
Packaged: 2018-03-04 22:43:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3094730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HellenwithtwoLs/pseuds/HellenwithtwoLs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thomas auditions for a part in a Movie, and lands the lead role. Soon enough, he finds himself working with one of Hollywood’s leading Actors, also known as Newt. It doesn’t take Thomas long to realize he’s totally smitten for this guy.</p><p>Trailer made by a friend on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxzk9L_Wvn0&feature=youtu.be</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Thomas had always hated being the new guy, but this…this was torture.

It’d all started on a Monday morning. Thomas had been going about his usual business, deciding to go out front to check the mail, only to be greeted by dozens of sparking camera flashes and bombarded by a herd of bickering reporters. It was only until after he’d checked his mail on that Monday that he’d realized what was going on.

Apparently, he’d landed the lead role in an upcoming A-lister’s movie he’d auditioned for during the summer, which to be completely honest, he’d completely forgotten about until the moment his eyes fell upon the block of papers that’d been jammed through his mailbox labeled with the words ‘GLADER STUDIOS: SCRIPT RELEASE’.

First rehearsal was scheduled on the following Sunday.

Thomas had spent the rest of his Monday celebrating with his old school mates and a shit-load of vodka.

Tuesday was sort of a sudden realization, and he spent his time wondering how he’d managed to land the role, and if they’d sent the script to the wrong person.

Wednesday was spent stressing over little things, like if he were to accidently face-plant on set, or if the other actors were going to judge him since he’d never been in the industry before.

Thursday was spent drinking a shit-load of coffee.

Friday was spent in absolute agony, as he was hit by the sudden realization that he had to learn all his lines in less than forty-eight hours, and spent the entire day cramming all the information into his brain.

Saturday was spent eating ice cream on his sofa, watching The Walking Dead, because why the fuck not?

And thus came Sunday.

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucccccccckkkkk seemed to be the only thing running through Thomas’ mind, as he made his way towards the studio. He’d barely been able to leave his house; due to the fact the Paparazzi were following him everywhere he went. The journey to the studio had been even more strenuous, since Thomas neither owned a car nor a bus pass, so his only valid option was to walk.

He’d been surrounded by a mob of people with fancy flashy cameras that blinded his vision throughout the entire walk. Every so often he’d give one of the cameras a light smile (you know, so people didn’t think he was a total dick-head) and then proceeded to hide his face behind his black jacket.

Eventually, as he approached the studio parking lot, the security surrounding the building caught up to the cameramen and edged them away from the scene, much to Thomas’ relief. He was probably never going to get used to this whole paparazzi thing.

The security guards had looked as if they were going to stop Thomas from entering the building, before one of them glanced at a white sheet of paper, spotting Thomas’ picture on the list, and let his jaw drop. They began to gossip amongst one another like a bunch of rowdy teenage girls, and Thomas restrained a laughed, as he made his way inside.

The place was diligent with people in suits and cameramen dashing about the place, props wheeling by every which way, and racks of florescent costumes passing through narrow hallways. It was absolutely hectic, like a scene straight out of a Tim Burton movie.

Thomas approached the front desk, and immediately spotted his name upon the sign-in list. It’d looked fairly strange next to the many Hollywood stars that were registered just below his. Thomas fumbled around in his pockets until he found a pen, checking his name and following the receptionist’s directions to studio three.

It’d taken him a while to navigate through the puzzling web of hallways and studios, but eventually he arrived at a strange grand hall-like structure with the number three painted in white across the navy door.

“Hey, Shank!” Thomas jumped in surprise, and turned his head, as a young Asian with dark hair and toned muscles approached him from behind. He appeared to be carrying a large box over his left shoulder, dressed rather well in a high-class leather blazer and matching slacks, and it made Thomas regret wearing ripped jeans on his first day. “Can’t you read? It’s a cast and crew only zone.”

Thomas glanced at the red sign and resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Yeah…I know. I’m part of the cast.”

The boy seemed shocked out of his mind for a mere second, his eyes scanning the brunette from head to toe, and Thomas felt severely judged. “You got a pass?” He asked, still eying him as though he were some alien life form. Thomas pulled the card that hung around his neck out of his shirt for display. The Asian narrowed his eyes as he read through it. “No. Shucking. Way. You’re the Greenie?”

Thomas had no idea what that even meant.

“Man. What were they thinking? Hiring a Greenie like you on a movie like this.” The Asian laughed obnoxiously loudly as he shook his head in a casual manner. “Man, what is this world coming to?” The boy let a sigh pass his lips. “Name’s Minho, but, you probably knew that.” Minho waltzed back in through the doors, letting them swing shut behind him.

Great start to the morning.

Thomas followed into the studio, and damn. This place was huge. It reminded him of his old school gymnasium, only a little less organized. A set of tables sat on the far side of the room, where most of the crew was discussing cinematography and setting for the movie. Scattered around the room were many actors, mostly extras, reading through the same script Thomas had memorized by heart.

“Thomas E, we meet again.” Thomas felt a hand come down on his shoulder, and was greeted by a familiar face. Alby had been the director who’d watched him at live auditions. They’d only really spoken that one time, but nevertheless, it was better than a random stranger.

“Oh, morning, sir.” Thomas said with a ceremonial tone.

“Ah, save the formal klunk for the press, Greenie.” Alby smirked. Why did people keep saying that word? What did it even mean? In fact, almost everyone seemed to be saying weird words that Thomas had never heard before. Maybe it was some sort of slang they had around here. “Did you just get here?”

“Yeah.” Thomas informed, awkwardly stuffing his hands into his pockets.

“Ah, good. Well, basically, we’re starting introductions in a few minutes, you know, just so you have an opportunity to get to know your fellow coworkers. After that we’re running lines, figuring out some stage directions. You don’t really need to worry too much about it.”

Alby began to walk off in a separate direction, and Thomas wasn’t sure if he was supposed to follow or go somewhere else. Eventually he decided to lumber behind him like a lost puppy.

“Now, you see the those groups over there?” Alby pointed towards the tables lined against the wall. “That’s the camera and set crew. Gally leads them lot. He’s a great guy, but, um…well, just don’t piss him off, and you’ll be the closest of friends.” Thomas swallowed, his throat going a little dry. “They’re all a little worked up over this new project, so, best not to talk to them until after they’ve had a couple ounces of coffee.”

“They seem…” Thomas watched as Gally punched his fist into the face of the table, sending a large crack down the center of the wooden surface, almost splitting the counter in half. “…Friendly.”

Alby couldn’t hold back a rowdy laugh, lolling his head back and wiping a tear. “Okay, okay, Greenie. See those small groups over there? Those are the extras. Now, just because you’re new, don’t feel like you’ve got to be all close and cuddly with them. They’ve got their own things to do. Now, your place is over there.” Alby pointed towards a small group of actors gathered by the center of the room, all dressed in high-rank brands with the latest iPhone’s in their hands, sipping out of Starbucks cups and talking about the movie business. He noticed Minho was with them, his chair tilted to an angle, as he swung back and forth.

Now he remembered. Thomas had seen Minho’s face on a lot of magazine covers and television commercials. Not that he’d ever watched any of his movies, but he still knew who he was. Thomas suddenly felt very much out of place.

“They’re the main cast. I hired some of the highest-ranking A-listers out there. They don’t come cheap, Greenie. Believe me. But, it’s worth it. They may seem a little intimidating at first but--”

“A little?” Thomas exclaimed, panic in his voice. “They’re mother fucking professionals! What the fuck do you expect me to fucking do?”

“Hey, calm the shuck down, Green-bean!” Alby gave Thomas a flick on the side of the skull, causing the brunette to wince and place a hand on his head. “You’ll be fine. Just deal with them for the next five minutes, and I’ll call everyone for introductions.” Alby glanced at the silver watch upon his wrist and grumbled. “God, they’re late again. Hey, I got to go. You just hang tight, alright?”

Thomas didn’t have the chance to protest since Alby was already halfway out the door by the time he’d comprehended his situation.

Thomas turned ninety degrees to his left, and spotted the main cast, his anxiety kicking him right in the chest. He made a face of reluctant uneasiness, before taking a deep breath, and making his way over towards the group.

They all sat in a circle on the floor, talking like a bunch of kids around a campfire.

As soon as he was in a five-foot radius of the group, Minho jumped to his feet in a surprise attack. “That’s him! That’s the Shank! I told you, man. I shucking told you!”

Thomas was tempted to slowly back away, but the other members of cast had already caught sight of him. “So this is the Thomas I’ve heard so much about?” a beefy boy with dark skin and short cut black hair sitting by the far side of the circle said. “Not what I expected from Minho’s description.”

“He’s the Greenie?” another boy with a buzz cut asked.

“You said he wasn’t hot.” A girl with dark hair and pale skin exclaimed. “Looks pretty damn good to me.”

“I said he wasn’t buff.” Minho corrected, causing Thomas to scowl.

“Eh, he’s not that bad, Min’.” A tall boy with freckles said.

“Well, he’s no Johnny Depp either.” Minho rolled his eyes and took a generous sip from his beer. Thomas had been with the group for less than a minute, and they’d already judged him more than he’d ever been in his entire life. “Well…” Minho passed the can around the group. “Greenie, these guys are Teresa, Chuck, Frypan, Jeff, Winston, Zart and…sorry, what’s your name again?”

The boy kicked Minho in the side of the leg, causing the Asian to burst into laughter. “It’s Ben.” He stated. “And I suppose you’ve already been acquainted with the dick-on-a-stick Minho over here.”

"If you're implying that I've got a big dick, then I'm flattered." Minho said with a snide smirk.

Thomas had known almost all of them before Minho had given the names, aside from Chuck, who Thomas admittedly had never seen before. He looked rather young, so he was probably as new to the industry as he was.

“So, Thomas,” Teresa started. “How does a guy who’s never done acting before get a job in a movie like this?”

“Did you pay them off?” Jeff smirked, his brow moving up in a cheeky fashion.

“What, no. I don’t have the money to do that shit.” Thomas stated.

“Sure thing, Greenie.” Jeff winked, as Teresa handed the beer can to him.

“What do you do anyways?” Frypan questioned, “I mean, since you only just started acting.”

Thomas sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “Um, I’m a pizza guy.”

Winston abruptly choked on his water midway down his throat and spat across the small circle, spraying both Thomas and Teresa with salava. “You’re a what??” he said in alarm.

Minho broke into laughter as Teresa cleared her throat and wiped the water from her shirtsleeve. “Gee, thanks Winston.” She said sarcastically.  
Thomas sighed. He was probably going to throw these jeans in the trash when he got home anyway. At least he didn't have to buy more washing liquid yet.“Sorry.” Winston said, laughing anxiously and taking another sip of water to replace the last, making sure to keep it down.

“You’re a Pizza delivery man?” Zart said with a chuckle. “How much does that pay, dude?”

“Oh, you know…minimum wage.” Thomas resisted the urge to dig himself a hole in the ground and just die.

“That’s pretty cool.” Chuck said. “Do you get free Pizza?”

“Yeah. It’s like the best part of my job.” Thomas said to the boy.

“Awesome.” Chuck said with a boyish grin. Thomas gave him a smile. "This is my first job as an Actor. It's wicked."

"Mine too." Thomas said. He could already tell that Chuck was a pretty good kid. He seemed to like him.

“Ah, look who just got here.” Minho snickered, moving his eyes towards the door. “Late again. Surprise, surprise.”

“I heard there were Paparazzi surrounding his house this morning.” Frypan said.

“Exactly. That guy’s got the attention of literally every tabloid out there. Lucky Shank.” Minho murmured.

Thomas turned his head to where Alby stood, and as soon as he did so, he felt his breath get caught in his throat. He was talking to a beautiful golden-haired boy, his brown eyes masked by his dark sunglasses. He was rather tall, but fairly skinny, and he walked with a slight limp. Thomas had honestly never seen anyone so stunning before. He was practically turned to stone by the angel. “Who is he?” Thomas asked.

“You don’t know who that is?” Teresa exclaimed. “Mate, you need to get out more often!”

Thomas rolled his eyes. Tell me something I don’t know, he thought.

“That’s Newt I. He’s been in literally every Hollywood best seller for the past seven years.” Ben stated. “He’s a legend.” Thomas seemed shocked. For a legend to say someone else was a legend…must be a pretty big legend.

Thomas watched as Alby gave Newt a hug, as the two greeted each other. They’d obviously worked together before. Newt made his way towards Gally on the other side of the room, glancing over at the Main Cast, and giving a small wave.

They all waved back enthusiastically, and Thomas could have sworn the blonde had shot him a smile, though he hadn’t had his eyes up long enough to tell, because as soon as Newt had spotted him, Thomas was staring at the ground like it were made of gold.

“Alright!” Alby called, clapping his hands three times over. Everyone turned their heads, even Gally and his Set Crew ceased their bickering to listen to their director. “Actors, gather up! We’re starting introductions!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> decided to update this a little early, because I updated my other thing and was like, "Why not do this while I'm at it?" So yeah, here we have it.
> 
> I'll be honest. This is a Hell of a lot of fun to write, and my God, I'm pretty excited :3
> 
> Comments are welcome YAAAAAY xxx

Alby had called the entire cast to gather up in a large circle in the center of the room. Everyone, minus the Set crew, grabbed a chair from the left side of the hall and placed themselves in a ginormous O shape right in the middle of studio three.

Thomas had ended up sitting in the circle with Teresa on his right and Minho on his left. Most of the Main Cast had sat in one isolated section of the circle, inevitably segregating themselves from the rest of the ensemble.

Newt was the only member of the Main Cast who’d sat himself on the opposite side of the circle, next to Alby and one of the extras. Thomas had to constantly remind himself to keep his eyes down to avoid staring at the boy.

“Alright, first thing’s first.” Alby stood from his seat and brushed his hands against his jeans before standing in an upright position. “For those of you who don’t know, my name’s Alby. I’m going to be your director for the next year or so.” A small round of applause rang through the circle, and Thomas felt obligated to join in. Alby nodded his head in thanks. “Yeah, yeah, good that. Moving on, our first hour is going to be spent with small introductions from everyone around the room. Just say your name, how old you are, and a random fact about yourself.”

It started from the extras, though most of the main cast didn’t seem to pay the slightest interest. Thomas had suspected that it wasn’t out of impoliteness, but more out of the fact they’d never really socialized with the rest of the minor cast before, and when it came to mingling with the latter, they were probably just as awkward as Thomas was.

Eventually the questions began at the Main Cast, and that was when they all snapped their phones off and began paying eager attention. As Minho introduced himself, the Main Cast gave an encouraging raucous cheer. Thomas was starting to realize that Minho was obviously a rather popular character in the industry, though; he’d already had his suspicions. He didn’t seem like a bad guy, just someone who took pride in his reputation.

“Hey, my name’s Minho,” (queue Main cast applause) “I’m seventeen, and for a random fact, I guess, I have seven dogs.” Minho gave a nonchalant shrug, and Ben whispered something in Teresa’s ear, causing her to chuckle uncontrollably.

As Minho sat down, he gave both Ben and Teresa the middle finger, causing the rest of the Main Cast to stifle hysterical laughter.

“You’re up, Greenie.” Minho said, giving Thomas a nudge with his elbow. Thomas seemed to snap into consciousness, practically giving himself a heart attack. Teresa gave Thomas a reassuring smile, which fortified Thomas to actually get out of his seat.

For a moment, he stood there in complete silence, as though he’d forgotten his own name. He’d accidently taken a glance at the captivating blonde who sat with his legs crossed, arms folded and eyes on him, which only made Thomas become that much more anxious.

“Uh, um, my name’s Thomas,” The Main Cast, including Newt, gave Thomas a surprisingly loud ovation, almost as loud as Minho’s.

“Go Greenie!” Frypan called.

Thomas smirked and ran a hand through his hair. “I have no idea what that means.”

The entire circle began to chuckle with amusement, and Thomas felt somewhat relaxed.

“Well…um…like I said, my name’s Thomas. I’m sixteen, and…um…I have about as many social skills as a stick, if that counts as a fact.” The group burst into laughter once again, and Thomas scratched the back of his neck whilst he resumed his position at his chair. He broke to a smile when he saw Newt hide himself behind his hand, inevitably disguising a grin.

“Don’t worry, Greenie. We’re all dysfunctions to society one way or another.” Winston reassured.

“Speak for yourself.” Jeff said with a boyish leer. “Hot stuff coming through.” The group was slowly seeping into uncontrollable fits of laughter, and Alby had to shush the entire room to bring the order back, though he too was taking a good amount of amusement watching Ben and Jeff have a ‘yo mama’ battle.

Soon enough, things returned to the way they were, and the questions around the room resumed.

Thomas felt as though he might have nodded off to sleep, if Minho hadn’t tapped him on the shoulder before hand. “Hey, Shank.” He whispered so that Alby wouldn’t give him a scolding for talking during the exercise. “You got a phone number?”

“Uh…why?” Thomas questioned, and Minho resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

“Why do you think, you slint-head? If you’re going to be hanging out with us from now on, we need your number.” Thomas froze, blood draining from his body. Did he seriously just get an invitation to become part of a celebrity clique? Holy shit.

Minho passed the brunette his phone, and Thomas put in his number. He then watched as Minho texted the number to everyone in the group, including Alby, Newt and Gally, before switching his phone off and casually slouching back in his chair.

By then, the questions had reached round to Newt, and Thomas watched as the blonde cleared his throat and stood from his seat. “Well, my name’s Newt--”

The Main Cast gave another flamboyant applause, and Thomas heard Minho call over his lungs, “Shaaaaank!”

“Yeah, I know you are, Min’.” Newt said with a sly sneer, and the entire cast chuckled giddily in unison. Thomas noticed Newt’s strong British Accent and it made him feel a little woozy for reasons he couldn’t possibly explain. “Anyway, I’m sixteen going seventeen this year, and as a fact, I am proud to say I am officially part of the LGBT community.”

Everyone stood from their seats and proceeded to give the loudest round of ovation physically possible. Well, Thomas would have if he hadn’t been caught dead with his jaw hanging open and his body completely deprived of oxygen. His life just got a whole lot better.

…

“You what? Ah, fuck this shit.” Minho tossed his script in the air, causing Teresa to double over in laughter. Alby rolled his eyes in bitter aggravation.

“It’s not that shucking difficult, just read the God damn line, you shank!” Alby exclaimed, his head practically fuming. One of the extras retrieved Minho’s script and handed it back to him, causing the Asian to turn his neck towards the roof and let out a lazy grown of agony.

Alby had started first full Cast rehearsal, which was basically just running through the entire script from beginning to end. The people performing within the scene that was being run through had to stand in the center of the studio and follow Alby’s directions. The people who were out of scene had to sit in a circle around them.

Thomas wasn’t needed for another two scenes; so he enjoyed his moment of relaxation sitting on the floor with the others, watching Teresa, Ben, Minho and Chuck, along with a few other extras, practice their opening. They’d been rehearsing that one scene for the past hour, and Alby looked just about ready to give them all a good punch to the face.

Thomas was too busy laughing at Frypan’s impression of Gally, something he’d apparently been working on all summer, to notice the young blonde take a seat next to him.

“Hey there, Greenie.” The Brit whispered into Thomas’ left ear, and Thomas vigilantly jumped in surprise.

“Oh, um, hey.” Thomas choked up, nervously turning his head away from Newt in an attempt to slow his speeding heart rate.

“Thomas, right?” Newt asked. The brunette simply nodded, deciding to avoid any suggestion of eye contact with the flawless blonde. “You won’t believe how rare it is for us to get a new guy in Glader studios. It’s nice to get some new Greenies in here.”

“Would you mind telling that to everyone else?” Thomas sneered a little bitterly. “I mean, they don’t say it, but, I know they don’t see me as one of them.”

“Well, you’ve only been here for less than a day. It’s a little complicated with these guys.” Newt said, taking a large gulp from his bottle of water. “They’re just not used to working around Greenies. Once you get used to them, they’ll learn to love you.”

Thomas nodded, grateful for Newt’s somewhat encouragement. A short silence fell upon the two, before Thomas cleared his throat and said, “So…you really part of LGBT Community?”

Newt let out a light chuckle and a faint blush peppered his cheeks. Thomas had been overwhelmed by the boy’s cuteness. “Yeah. I mean I came out like last year. Why you asking?” 

Thomas raised his eyebrows. Shit. “Um, no reason. I just, um…curious, you know, ha-ha.” He noticed his stuttering and decided to shut the fuck up, pretending to fiddle with his nails.

The blonde gave the anxious boy a kind smile, and Thomas felt his breath leave him. “You’re a funny guy, Tommy.”

Funny. Not what he was going for, but then again, he had no idea what he was going for anyways. Thomas had given himself the impression that Newt might just go out with him, since he now knew what sexuality he was, but then again, Newt was an award-winning actor with over twenty awards and enough money to buy Europe. And Thomas was…well…Thomas. But hey, if worse comes to worse, he could always make the guy a free pizza.

Thomas caught himself staring again, and ran a hand through his hair, his face going red with embarrassment. He was praying to God Newt hadn’t noticed.

“Hey, so, um, there’s this Party Minho’s forcing me to throw tonight in honor of the new movie. It’s kind of an obligation for the Lead actor to host the get together anyways. It’s probably just going to be a few people.” This time Newt had decided not to look him in the eye, and God damn, Thomas felt himself die inside. “I was just wondering if you’d want to, I don’t know, maybe join us, if you’re free that is.”

Thomas had to momentarily remind himself how to speak English. “Y-yeah that’d be awesome. But, I have to warn you, I’m kind of a killjoy if you’re with me for longer than two hours.” Newt couldn’t help but laugh as Thomas checked his watch. “Yeah, you’ll get what I mean in about…forty minutes and twenty-three seconds. But who’s counting, right?”

There was a moment, in which the two sat in silence, Newt simply studying the brunette with his elusive brown eyes, like he were a work of art in a museum. Thomas felt as though Newt was making that adorable glint of his on purpose.

Thomas began to stress under all the attention the Brit was giving him, and awkwardly turned back to his watch. “Forty minutes fourteen seconds, thirteen seconds, twelve seconds--” Newt turned his eyes to the ground and laughed at Thomas’ goofy persona. Thomas somehow managed to be socially awkward, but somewhat confident, funny, relaxed and energetic all at the same time. It made no sense, but that’s what Newt liked about him.

…

The day passed unbelievably fast, though it was only the first day of preparations. The real work started tomorrow. They had to get in by four AM to do Main Cast interviews with Alby and the press, and after that, they’d be seeing their set for the first time, and having their first run through without camera rolling. Then it was on to hair and makeup, and once they were all dolled up, they were having their first filming session. To say Thomas was a little excited would be an understatement.

The Main Cast had been the last to leave Studio three, mainly because Newt had promised everyone a ride to the party. Thomas had decided to tag along (Well actually, Newt hadn’t really given him a choice in the matter) though he had a feeling this wasn’t going to end well for the Greenie.

As soon as the group got to the front doors of the exit, everyone automatically stopped in their tracks, almost robotically. Thomas watched in complete fascination as everyone began pulling black umbrellas and sunhats from their bags to hide their faces. Even Newt had put on a pair of sunglasses and a baseball cap.

That was when Frypan noticed Thomas just standing there, gawking like a child seeing candy for the first time. “Ah, anyone got a spare hat for the Greenie?”

Everyone began fumbling around in their carriers, searching for something for Thomas to use. “Why do I need a hat?” He questioned with slight confusion.

Newt smirked. “You seriously going to walk out into that sea of Paparazzi unarmed? The entire bloody Lead Cast is here, Tommy.” The blonde handed Thomas a timeworn black scarf. “Use this. It’s not going to do much, but it’ll help a little I guess.”

Thomas took the material and, with Teresa’s help, wrapped it round his own neck.

“Alright. You guys ready?” Ben asked. “Let’s go.”

As soon as the doors were swung open, the group was greeted by a strike of camera sparks brighter than the sun, all setting off right before their eyes. Thomas attempted to keep his composure, as Minho waved off some of the aggressive reporters.

They began to push through the crowd, and Thomas felt himself almost getting lost amidst the horde of interviewers and photographers pulling at his jacket sleeves. The screams and calls of the press were virtually deafening and made his blood run cold.

It was only when Newt caught Thomas’ in the crook of his arm and began to guide him through the press that the brunette felt himself begin to relax, his anxiety somewhat subsiding. “Just stay close to us, got it, Tommy?”

“Yeah, thanks, Newt.” Thomas nodded as they made their way out towards the gates.

Minho gave a light scowl as they passed the security team, who were obviously not doing their jobs properly.

Newt’s night-black limousine was parked in front of the gates, and the blonde’s security team concurrently emerged from within the car, immediately surrounding themselves around their boss and the rest of the Main Cast. “Okay, get in guys.” Newt ushered, as his team held off the paparazzi.

One by one, they all began to make their way into the vehicle. Thomas and Newt were the last ones in, and as soon as Newt gave the all clear, the security evacuated and the driver began to speed off down the road.

“Well, that went better than expected.” Teresa smiled, seating herself at the far end of the car.

“Shuck that klunk man, who’s ready to party?” Jeff called, and the entire limousine let out a boisterous uproar of cheer. Newt turned his head over his shoulder to meet Thomas’ gaze, and gave him a cute subtle wink.

There was no way this could end well for Thomas, but at this point, he didn’t really care.


	3. Chapter 3

Note to self. When celebrities say party, they really mean rave. And when celebrities say ‘a few people’, they really mean the entire population of Los Angeles.

Enough said.

First thing first, Newt lived in a mother-fucking palace.

The place had five floors with a front and back yard the size of two football pitches. The pool out back was packed with celebrities and supermodels from all around the world, because apparently Minho had sent out invites four weeks prior for reasons Thomas could not comprehend.

Newt had his own personal DJ in the main hall, playing songs Thomas didn’t even know existed, whilst everyone was crammed up against each other, swaying out on the dance floor like there was no tomorrow. Some of the guys had decided to set up a drinks bar (and by drinks, I mean practically indigestible alcohol that will burn your insides in the morning.) Thomas had already promised himself to not go anywhere near that stuff.

So far, he wasn’t quite digging it.

Thomas simply stood by the edge of the dance floor, checking his watch every five minutes and doing a little celebrity sight-seeing.

Newt was by far the most sociable man Thomas had ever met. He was able to hold up a conversation with literally everyone at the party. The brunette had thought about making his way over, though he thought it best not to cramp the Brit’s style.

“Hey!” Thomas turned his head as Teresa tapped him over the shoulder. “You feeling alright, Thomas?” She yelled over the roaring music that threatened to rupture the boy’s hearing. “You haven’t danced at all tonight!”

“Yeah, well, this isn’t really my scene.” Thomas explained, though he was almost a hundred percent sure she knew that already. “You know, I don’t think Celebrities mix well with Pizza guys.”

Teresa laughed and shook her head at the boy. “Thomas! You’re staring in a movie with Hollywood’s best! You’re one of us now! You got to have at least a little fun!”

At that moment, Gally joined the two by the edge of the dance floor, a half lucid smile on his face. “You’re the Greenie, right?” He asked, the music almost drowning out his voice.

“Yeah, I guess.” Thomas replied.

“Name’s Gally. Head of set crew.” Gally handed Teresa a strange glass of orange to yellow alcohol. As soon as he tried to hand Thomas a pint, he backed off three feet and held his hands up beside his head in defense.

“Nope, nope, get that away from me. Nope, what is that?” He blurted out with a panicked expression.

“It’s just a drink, man.” Gally chuckled, taking great amusement in the Greenie’s jumpiness.

“I think I’ll pass.” He stated, silently dodging out of the scenario and making his way towards the bar, taking a seat and having his forehead down against the counter to hide his face.

Gally raised a questioning eyebrow, turning towards Teresa. “Is he alright?”

“Oh, sure. He just hates your booze.” Teresa said with a giddy little smile.

He shrugged nonchalantly. “Understandable.”

Thomas felt as though every sense he had had been pugnaciously violated. The bitter smell of alcohol tinged the air in an unbearable musk that made him want to be sick. Not fun. So not fun.

As the night droned on, Thomas had noticed Minho flirting with several men and women on the dance floor, handing out free drinks with a teasing wink and kiss on the cheek. Apparently, the man went both ways.

Thomas couldn’t help feeling somewhat jealous of the Asian’s overshadowing self-confidence. He’d give anything for that kind of charisma. But no, he just had to be stuck with social anxiety that prevented him from having any form of relationship with another human being whatsoever. Great.

He was glad the rest of the main cast seemed to be having a blast though. They were definitely used to these kinds of things. Zart and Jeff were up next to the DJ’s stand, taking videos for their fan pages and Social Media sites. Gally and Teresa had made their way out towards the pool. (Thomas had already seen both Frypan and Winston belly flop into the deep end fully clothed.)

For the past few minutes, the brunette had been tensely sipping on a glass of water, trying to ignore the couple of supermodels making out on the face of the bar.

It was only when he heard a familiar voice of pure bliss whisper just beside his left ear that he actually dragged himself back into consciousness. “You alright there, Tommy?”

The brunette turned his head over his shoulder, to meet Newt’s tender gaze, as he gave him an angelic smile that made Thomas’ heart race. He was so taken aback by the boy’s perfection; he’d not realized he’d been staring for about the past twelve seconds, which in Thomas’ mind was eleven seconds too long. “H-hey, um, yeah, hi, um, shit, yeah I’m good.” He stuttered, mentally punching himself in the face. Smooth move.

Newt simply smiled, placing his gentle fingertips against his shoulder, the touch causing him to almost flinch. “Are you sure you’re okay with all of this? If you want, I can get one of my drivers to drive you home--”

“N-no, it’s…it’s fine, don’t worry.” Thomas may not exactly be the ‘life of the party’, but one thing he refused to do was leave a celebrity gathering early. He would not stoop to that level, even with his social dysfunction and general embarrassment of himself, he would not let himself slip away that easily.

“Well…in that case,” Newt pulled Thomas off his seat at the bar, causing him to stumble to his feet in an embarrassingly inelegant manner. As soon as he’d regained his balance, the blond twined his arms around the back of his neck, leaning in close and whispering into his ear, “You wanna’ dance with me, Greenie?”

Thomas felt as though he were about to have himself a heart attack, his body completely deprived of needed oxygen as his face began to redden. Newt being so close to his body also wasn’t helping the situation for him. He could feel his lips brush against the shell of his ear, and it made him quiver with excitement.

Ah, shuck it.

Thomas grabbed a shot that had been sat upon a waiter’s tray of refreshments, getting it down his throat as quick as he could. The bitter liquid burnt like molten and made him want to gag, but he managed to swallow with a sour hiss, before ridding himself of the glass, and letting Newt drag him towards the center of the dance floor.

The music sent vibrations through the ground and atmosphere. Most of the dancing was inelegant and carnal. The beat seemed to pass through Thomas’ body like an uncontrollable shockwave.

They’d only been on the dance floor for a few minutes, before Newt had his hands on Thomas’ chest, making their way up behind his neck.

He wasn’t sure as to how much more of this boy he could take. Every movement he made was in time with the music, graceful and picturesque, even amongst a crowd of sweaty and lively bodies. Newt was just so gentle with every touch and movement, and the way his gaze never seemed to leave his practically made the brunette’s heart stop.

Eventually, Thomas felt himself begin to relax, his hands finding their way to Newt’s hips. The blond felt himself begin to blush, as the two of them danced together, oblivious to everyone and everything else around them. Like it was just the two of them alone together. It was almost as if they’d entered their own separate world that divided them from all the turmoil surrounding them.

“Having fun now, Tommy?” Newt asked, and his smile grew even wider, as Thomas pulled him closer to his body.

“Oh, I’m way past fun.” He smirked, and Newt momentarily looked down at his feet to hide his adorable chuckle of amusement.

Thomas wasn’t so sure whether it was the music or that pure vodka he’d just ingested, but something had gotten him feeling as though he could take over the world…or maybe it was Newt’s fault that he’d suddenly lost his anxiety. He could get used to this.

He brushed his thumb against Newt’s left cheek, smiling as the boy leaned into his touch. His eyes darted to the blonde’s perfect lips, then back up to meet his captivating eyes.

They’d been only inches apart, and Thomas could feel the blonde’s breath against his skin, when Gally and Teresa had burst in through the doors, the music from outside having stopped. “Guys!” Teresa called. “Someone called the paparazzi!”

The DJ immediately unplugged his speakers, and everyone fell into a scuffle of panic.

“Ah, shuck. Every bloody time!” Newt hissed. “Can’t a man hold a bloody party without having their personal privacy invaded for once!” He turned to Thomas with an apologetic look. “Hey, um, I gotta’ go sort out the--”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it.” Thomas said, nodding his head and awkwardly stuffing his hands into his pockets. Everyone was already making haste to leave Newt’s property as soon as possible. “Um, can I just ask you something before you go?”

Newt nodded, only to have the brunette pull him towards his chest and place an adoring kiss upon his forehead. It was short and sweet, but it left Newt speechless all the same.

Thomas felt a little too embarrassed to look the blond in the eye as he pulled away, so as soon as he did so he swiftly made his way towards the front door exit, leaving Newt breathless and searching for his composure.

…

“I kissed him on the temple, okay. It’s not that big of a deal.” Thomas huffed, as he grabbed his black cap that sat upon the sofa.

“Not a big deal?” Teresa exclaimed down the phone line. He could hear her munching away on a breakfast bar on the other end. She murmured scrappily as she spoke with her mouth half full. “Thomas, only couples kiss on the forehead. Like, really, really, cute intense couples.”

“That’s not true.” He retorted. “It was just a friendly thing.”

“Oh, really. So you wouldn’t care if say Newt hooked up with a supermodel?” She questioned, snapping another chunk from her bar.

“…Why would I care?” Thomas huffed, though he had a little trouble as the words passed his lips.

“You hesitated.”

“No, I didn’t.” He rolled his eyes as he made his way out of his door, only to find a line of men in black suits and ties holding back the crowds of press and cameras. Right in front of his steps sat a sparkling white limousine with blacked out windows. “Uh…Teresa, I’m going to have to call you back. I’ll see you at the interviews…”

Thomas tossed his phone into his pocket, and the head security guard made his way over towards him. “Good morning, Sir.”

“Uh…sup.” He said with confusion plastered plainly upon his face. “Uh…I’m sorry, what’s happening?”

“We’ve been asked to escort you to your destination. Complements of Sir Newton.” The man pulled a small card from his suit pocket, and handed it to Thomas.

He looked at it and flipped it over.

‘Thanks for the dance, Tommy. See you soon.

-Newt xx’

“It seems the boss has taken quite a liking to you, Mister Thomas.” The man said with a bow of the head. “Any friend of Newt’s is a friend of mine.”

Goddamn was pretty much all Thomas could filter through his mind as the man opened the door for him, letting him step inside the vehicle. This was a lot to take in in less than forty-eight hours…but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t enjoying it.

…

“Shuck my life, man.” Minho grumbled, resting his head against the meeting desk placed in the center of the small room. Minho had been complaining about his sporting hangover for the past hour or so, and Thomas was getting a little tired of it to be honest.

The entire main cast was all present and impatiently waiting in the conference room. Newt had been the last to arrive, and as soon as he’d entered, he’d shot the brunette a smile of affection. Thomas had panicked and pretended he’d not seen it, though there was no running from the blond when Newt had suddenly decided to take a seat next to him. However, to Thomas’ somewhat relief, he hadn’t attempted to start up a conversation. He seemed happy enough just being close to the boy.

“Well, now that everyone’s here,” Alby started, placing his cup of water onto the table and clapping his hands twice over. “When the interviewers arrive, they’re going to ask to interview you all in small groups. First, it’ll be Frypan, Winston and Zart, and then it’ll be Teresa, Ben and Chuck, and finally, Thomas, Newt and Minho.” Alby turned directly towards Thomas for a moment. “Greenie, I deliberately put you with Minho and Newt just in case you get a little stuck with some of the klunky questions. You can be sure for these guys to give you a hand. Try to be honest…but not…too honest.”

The group chuckled and Alby shrugged his shoulders.

“This is gonna’ be fun.” Newt softly chuckled into Thomas’ ear, making him shiver down the back of his neck.

“Yeah, I guess so.” Thomas said with an attempted smile, trying to hide the fact he was totally freaking out inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this chapter!  
> If you'd like to tell me what you thought in the comments, feel free to do so! I'd really appreciate it :3  
> Thanks again xxxxxx


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so here's chapter four! Still really enjoying writing this fic! It's a little longer than the last one (but probably not as good, haha)
> 
> IMPORTANT: Guys, I'm going on a temporary leave until February due to GCSE exams (OH THE PAIN!!!) I promise I'll be back soon, and I'm uber sorry about this! I promise, I'll be back as soon as possible :3

Don was a young man with dark charcoal hair, wearing a set of skinny jeans and a suit jacket. Thomas had immediately recognized him from several talk show interviews he’d seen over the years, ranging from European TV to American Cinema. He was one of Hollywood’s biggest talk show hosts.

As soon as the three of them had entered the room, he’d given them all a welcoming smile, introduced himself, before letting them sit down in the three chairs placed at the end of the room.

The interview set consisted of three chairs in front of a black background with two cameras, one pointed in front of them, and the other pointing towards Don, who sat opposite the three with his legs crossed and coffee cup in hand. Thomas had sat on the chair to the far left, Newt sat in the center, and Minho to the far right. They’d all had tiny microphones attached to their clothing to record them as they spoke.

“Okay, are we good to start rolling?” Don had asked, turning towards the cameramen with a light smile upon his lips. The two men at both cameras give an abrupt nod, and Don complied, turning towards the three that sat before him. “Okay guys. This is just going to be some simple questions regarding both the Movie and your careers as actors. Now, there’s no need to stress out, this isn’t an interrogation. This is just a way for the fans to get to know you guys better. Just imagine the cameras aren’t there. Okay?” Thomas could sense that the only reason Don was saying all of this was for his benefit as a first time actor, but he appreciated it nonetheless.

The three of them corresponded with a coordinated nod, and the cameraman to the right began to give the countdown. “Three…two…one…. we’re on.”

“Hello and good morning, Hollywood!” Don called buoyantly with a wink to the camera. “My name’s Donnelly Banks, and today I’m joined by a few very special guests. Some of you may know them as the stunning new cast for Hollywood’s upcoming movie, The Maze. Some of you may also know them as Hollywood’s finest and fittest. Ladies and gentlemen, Thomas Edison, Newt I. and Minho H!”

“Heeeyyy.” Minho slurred in a comical fashion, causing Newt to snicker beneath his breath. Thomas had no idea what to do with himself, so settled for fiddling with his fingertips, hoping to distract himself. 

The blond had noticed him tense as soon as the cameras started rolling, and subtly tugged at the brunette’s shirtsleeve, giving him an encouraging smile. It was all Thomas needed to calm himself. With this boy beside him, nothing could possibly go wrong.

“So guys, The Maze? I’m assuming you’ve all read the books?” Don questioned.

Yes. Thomas had. Twice. That was the main reason he’d auditioned in the first place, since he’d completely fallen in love with the series after book one. He never actually thought he’d get the role, but it happened for reasons he didn’t quite understand himself. 

“Would it be bad if I said no?” Minho chuckled, and Don let out a mock-gasp. Minho shook his head and adjusted his jacked collar upon his shoulders. “Okay, I finished half of the first book, and I read through the entire movie script, if that counts for anything.”

“I am ashamed of you.” Newt said, tutting in disapproval, a mischievous smirk on his lips. “Everyone knows you got to read the bloody books before you do the movie, man.”

“I read the books, like, four years ago.” Thomas stated, causing the other two to look at him in minor shock with a hint of admiration. “That book came out in like, 2009. Keep up you guys, God.” The boys laughed as Thomas snapped his fingers and crossed his legs in a jaunty fashion.

“So, Thomas,” Don began. Oh shit. Thomas prepared himself by clearing his throat and resuming to fidget with his thumbs. “I hear this is your first movie? How does it feel being able to work with all of these professional actors who’ve literally been in the business since they were kids?”

“Uh, well…” Thomas thought for a moment, dedicating a great amount of effort in trying to keep his voice as even as possible. “It’s…um…kind of like walking into school for the first time, like, everyone’s treating you as the new guy and you just kind of have to deal with it. But you know, these guys, they’re just so fun to be around. I mean, I’ve only known them for like a couple of days and I already know this project is going to be amazing.”

“What do you think is going to take the most getting used to?” Don asked.

Several things passed through Thomas’ mind. The early mornings? The lengthy rehearsals? The heavy makeup?

“Um…well, there’s the slang.” He affirmed, causing both Minho and Newt to burst into laughter, minding not to fall out of their chairs as they did so, and Thomas couldn’t help but break to a smirk. “Seriously though, first day of rehearsals they start throwing words like ‘Greenie’ and ‘Shank’ in my face. Like…what the Hell is a shank?”

“Okay,” Newt sat up as he recovered from his chuckling fit. “Greenie is newbie, Shank is friend slash idiot, klunk is poop and shuck is…I can’t say that on television.” The three laughed in unison, and Thomas hadn’t even realized his anxiety beginning to dissolve.

“Alright, alright, but in all seriousness,” Don adjusted his sitting position to look up at the three, though he still appeared principally relaxed. “I heard about the paparazzi bash on your little party yesterday.”

“That’s out there already? Damn, that was fast as shuck.” Minho said, slouching back against his chair. “Social media these days is shucking scary shit, man.”

“How do you all manage to stay so calm, what with all the paparazzi following your tail every hour by the hour?” Don asked.

“Well, I mean, it’s not like you can get used to it.” Newt said, scratching the back of his neck and crossing his left leg over his right. “I mean, it’s a bunch of people waving bloody cameras in your face for Christ’s sake, it’s ridiculous.”

“Yeah, I thought they only did that stuff in movies. Last Monday morning, I was like, blinded by a sea of evil reporters and snarling cameramen attacking my face. Nightmare, right?” Thomas said with a theatrical tone, causing the blond to snicker and hide his mouth behind his hand. He glanced over at him, raising an eyebrow with an amorous leer. “Hey, you laughing at me, mate?”

The boy shook his head, unable to keep that endearing smile off his face. “Nah, you’re just so bloody adorable, Tommy.”

Thomas cleared his throat, resisting the urge to lean closer to the blond. “I take that as a complement.” The two had their eyes on each other for longer than they’d both anticipated, but needless to say, neither one of them was complaining.

Thomas had taken a single glance into the boy’s angelic spellbinding eyes, and had been unable to tare himself away. The Brit seemed to bare the slightest hint of a blush upon his pale cheeks, which caught the brunette completely breathless. The way Newt smiled at him so innocently made him feel a little lightheaded.

“Hm.” Don had broken the silence, fanning himself with cue cards, a Cheshire cat smile on his lips. “You two sure seem friendly.”

Minho tittered audaciously. “You think that was friendly, you should have seen them yesterday--” Newt slapped him on the back of the shoulder, causing the Asian boy to shut his mouth, though still holding back sinister fits of laughter.

…

Interviews had lasted from four AM until around six AM. The drive from there to the set was about half an hour.

As soon as Thomas had stepped out of the ‘Main cast mini bus’, he’d immediately wanted to retreat back inside like a petrified rodent, feeling his stomach begin to churn at the very sight of the place.

They’d arrived in the middle of a field-like set, Gally and his team working on putting up the vast amount of wooden scaffolding and mini huts. Around the set were several van trailers, with members of staff helping unload the multiple stacks of wood and putting up the break tents.

“Alright, main cast!” Alby called, gaining everyone’s full attention (and fifty percent of Thomas’, since he was still a little preoccupied soaking up the intimidating troposphere that surrounded him. This had suddenly gotten very much real.) “Today, we’re working through two main scenes. First, we’re doing the opening sequence when Thomas first emerges from the box. After that, we’re working on the scene where Teresa first emerges from the box.”

“How come we’re not shooting the scenes in order?” Thomas whispered into Newt’s ear, so as not to distract the rest of the cast from Alby’s instructions.

“Movies very rarely shoot all their scenes in the right order. It’s due to the fact that it’s just easier to do a certain number of scenes before doing the rest of them. Like, we’re going to finish all of the scenes in the field, then in the next couple of months, we’ll be filming all of the scenes in the maze, which will probably be back at Glader’s studios.” The Brit explained, keeping his voice low. “You nervous, Tommy?”

Thomas stared down at his shoes, shrugging his shoulders and fidgeting on the spot. “Eh…I’m absolutely terrified.”

The blond only seemed to grin a warm beam, nudging him with the side of his elbow, before interlacing their fingers, holding Thomas’ left hand in his own. The brunette could only take pleasure in the warmth that Newt’s caring hand offered.

“Alright, let’s run through this klunk and get you guys into makeup!” Alby called.

…

“Dude, what are you doing?” Minho had questioned, as Teresa began walking around the makeup van trailer, filming the others getting their fake bruises and scrapes painted onto their skin.

“Gally asked me to do some of the ‘behind the scenes’ footage.” She explained, zooming up on the Asian’s face. He simply rolled his eyes and stuck his middle finger up at the lens, triggering Teresa to giggle and take a few steps back.

Thomas sat beside Minho, whilst one of the makeup artists began to draw scrapes along his arms. He was shocked as to how realistic the scars were, and wondered how they even managed it. He’d once tried to do the same for his school drama production and it’d failed miserably.

“Hey, Greenie.” Minho called from his makeup desk. Thomas turned his head, moving his arm a little and causing his makeup artist to groan in irritation. He gave an apologetic look, and the artist merely shook her head, resuming her previous position.

“Can you like, stop calling me Greenie? It’s kind of annoying.” He admitted.

“What? Don’t like being a Greenie, Greenie?” Minho sneered, simply to annoy him. Thomas resisted the urge to kick the man in his shin. “Hey, so, what’s the deal with Newt?”

Thomas raised his eyebrows. “What?”

“You know, you like him or what?” Minho said with a somewhat serious expression.

“…Well, he’s a nice guy.” Thomas said, minding not to stammer over his own words.

“You know what I mean, shuck-face.” The Asian stood from his seat and leant against his dressing table. “You got the hots for him, or nah?”

The brunette’s eyes widened, his jaw dropping by an inch, before he closed it again. What the fuck was he supposed to say? It wasn’t like he didn’t find Newt attractive, but he couldn’t just downright say ‘Yeah, he’s the most fucking beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life’. Besides, it didn’t really matter considering there was no way in Holy Hell Newt would ever like him like that. So they danced. Big fucking deal. Friends dance all the time, right?

Ah, fuckity fucking fuck.

“H-he’s, um, alright.” He replied, nervously looking down at his shoelaces and turning his head over his shoulder.

“I mean they might as well just get married already, right?” Teresa stated, still fiddling with Gally’s camera.

“Shut up.” Thomas protested, trying not to let his exasperation get to him.

“Well, I’m like, pretty sure Newt’s got it bad for you, bro.” Minho confirmed, crossing his arms over his chest and taking a large bite out of his apple.

Thomas carded his fingers through his hair. Yeah right. “…You’re just saying that to mess with me.”

“Dude, just fucking, oh my god, just, gah!” Minho pinched the bridge of his nose. “You know that moment when you’re watching a movie and there are like, two characters that are made for each other, but they just don’t fucking get together? My life is like that right now.”

“You ship it?” Teresa asked.

“Oh, I ship it.” Minho huffed with a vigorous nod. “It’s like my OTP right about now.” She chuckled giddily and Thomas hid his face behind his hand, too humiliated to even look at the two of them.

…

“Okay, so The Box doors are going to open, and there’ll be a set of metal wireframe doors above you.” Alby explained to Thomas, as the two of them stood in the metal lift that Gally and the team had built about a month ago in the floor of the field. “Everyone is going to surround the frame, and you’ll be able to see them through the wire netting. You got to look up at them, okay? And eventually they’ll get the wire doors open. After that, Ben is going to jump down, say his line, and pull you up. He’ll throw you on the ground and it’s probably going to hurt a little bit, but you’ll be alright.”

Thomas nodded, the tiny metal space proving rather intimidating, as he looked around the iron set. It was all created with great detail, barrels and crates stacked in every corner except his.

“Oh, and don’t worry. Everyone gets a little nervous on their first day of shooting. Just go with it, okay, Greenie?” Thomas let a sigh pass him by, clearing his mind and running his hand down the back of his neck. Alby gave him a pat on the back, before he climbed out of the box, leaving Thomas to get into his position in the corner of the metal room.

He spotted a familiar blond poke his head over the edge of the Box, a smile on his lips. “Good luck, Tommy.”

“T-Thanks.” He replied gratefully, his heart seeming to flutter as the Brit disappeared to get into position for the first scene of the day.

As the doors began to close, Thomas found himself become incased within a shadow of overcast darkness, feeling his heart rate begin to pick up, as he edged himself against the wall of The Box. He could hear Alby’s voice above ground giving the directions.

“Alright! Places everyone!” There was a moment of silence, before Alby’s voice rang through again, projected through the director’s megaphone. “Camera Mark, Take one, The Box, action!”

Thomas heard the deafening sound of metal against metal, as the steel doors began to slide open. His vision was incased with a blinding light, and he used his right arm to shield his eyes from the blaze.

He saw the rest of the cast began to crowd around the outer edge of the metal wire frame, whispering beneath their breaths and pointing at him like he were some animal in a cage.

The extras began to pull the wired doors open, and he saw Newt, standing beside the edge, his hands shoved in his pockets as he looked down at him.

Focus Thomas, bloody focus!

He reminded himself not to stare as the frame was swung open, and the group above him got louder and louder. It was all so real, Thomas actually felt himself become timid.

It was then Ben jumped down from the edge of the Box, standing over the brunette with a sharp glint in his eye. “Day one, kid. Rise and shine.” Ben roughly pulled him up by the collar, causing Thomas to trip and fall back against the wall of the Box. “Oh, shit! You alright there, Greenie?” Ben laughed off, as Thomas attempted to recover from his maladroit drop. The rest of the cast burst into laughter above him, and the brunette felt himself redden.

Less than what, forty seconds in and he’d already fucked up? Bravo.

“Cut! Take it again!” Alby called from above the set. “Keep it together, guys!”

“Okay, how about next time, you push yourself up, and I’ll just grab your collar.” Ben stated, as he climbed out of the Box.

Thomas sighed, embarrassment still evident on his face. “Yeah…alright.”

“Great start, Greenie!” Winston called down from the edge of The Box.

“Fuck off, would you?” Thomas smirked and shook his head.

…

It took about twenty minutes to get the first scene done, mainly because Alby wanted to get as many takes as possible. By the time Thomas was finally done, they decided to call a break, where in which he watched Zart and Jeff have an intense dance-off in the center of the field, Teresa filming it for the extras. Ben and Frypan were busy making videos for Facebook for their ‘behind the scenes’ tour for the fans.

Newt and Thomas sat beside each other on the field, waiting for Gally to finish setting up the next scene. Newt took a sip from his bottle of water, and handed it to Thomas. “How you holding up?”

“I’m in Hell.” He slurred, taking a large gulp from the bottle, causing the other boy to let out an adorable laugh that seemed to warm his heart. He’d only then noticed he’d just drunk from the same bottle as the Brit, which made him insanely nervous for reasons he couldn’t even begin to describe.

“Well, the day’s only just begun, Tommy.” Newt reminded, leaning back against the palms of his hands. “Still got a long way to go.”

“Yeah, tell me something I don’t know.” Thomas sat so their shoulders were touching, and the feeling made him shiver, though he felt guilty that it had.

“Doing better than I did.” The blond said in an attempt to reassure him. “On my first movie, I cried for about thirty minutes straight because I shucked up the opening sequence.”

“Yeah, but…you’re an A-lister. You can get away with stuff like that.”

“I wasn’t always an A-lister, Tommy. Started off just like you did, you know.” The Brit stated, lolling his head back and taking a heavy breath. Thomas admired the way the blond looked as the light rays kissed his pale skin, making him look ever more divine and innocent than before, if that were even possible. “But I’ve always known what I wanted, Tommy. I wanted to show the world that I could accomplish my dreams, regardless of what people said about me. Maybe earn myself a little affection on the way.” He turned his head towards the brunette, his clear brown eyes drawing Thomas in without even knowing it himself. “Do you know what you want, Tommy?”

He found himself unable to form coherent words for a moment or two, before turning his eyes down to the grass beneath him and letting out a faint chuckle. “I honestly have no idea anymore.”

“You know,” Newt leant in a little closer, causing Thomas’ heart to practically leap from inside his chest. He whispered against the side of his ear, “Sometimes, you’ll find that what you really want is right in front of you.”

His breath tickled the back of the brunette’s neck, giving him shivers that he’d never intended to have.

As the blond pulled himself away, Thomas had to make great effort to hide his inevitable flush upon his face. “But let’s just keep that between you and me.” Newt said with a winning smile.

“I, uh--”

Thomas was cut off as Alby crouched beside the two, clapping them both on the shoulders. “Hey, shanks. Not interrupting anything, am I?”

“What? Uh, no.” The brunette choked, and Newt raised his eyebrow, though decided not to say anything. Had he done something wrong?

“Ah, good. So, we’re thinking about going into night-shooting later this evening, so we might just have to camp out for a little while after sun goes down.”

“What scenes are we shooting?” Newt questioned, running a hand through his unkempt hair.

“Well, there’s the bonfire scene, and of course, there’s the scene with you and Thomas by the log.” Alby explained. “You’ve both read over the script for that, right?”

“Yep.” They said in unison.

“Good that. Hey, so five minutes, we’re getting back to shooting. Alright?”

“Good that.” Newt replied, as Alby made his way over to Gally’s crew to discuss filming.

“It’s gonna’ be our first scene together.” Newt said with a half-smile. “You ready for it, Tommy?”

He cleared his throat, running his hands down the length of his arms. Something about this made him feel comprehensively tenser than before. But he managed to pull a smile for the blond, shrugging his shoulders. “Yeah…yeah, I am.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back from GCSE Exams!!   
> Actually that's a lie, I'm still in the middle of them -_-  
> But I thought I could probably get back to this anyway.
> 
> Sorry that the chapter is a little shorter than usual. Like I said, still in the middle of exams, so haven't had much of a chance to write much, but I did promise, so, here we go!

“You look kinda’ nervous.” Newt said, taking a seat beside Thomas, as Alby had instructed, an oversized green hoodie slung over the shoulders of his costume. The brunette had found himself picking at the grass beneath him, his trying to distract himself as the cameras were set up around the log the two of them were perched upon.

“Yeah, but that’s nothing really new, right?” He smirked, tearing a blade of grass into tiny bits of green.

“Well, if you learnt your lines good, there’s nothing you got to worry about.” He reassured, clapping Thomas on the back of the shoulder. “But if you get a little tense, just remember, I’m here to help you out if ya’ need it.”

Thomas felt Newt brush the edge of his shoulder against his, and turned his eyes to meet the blonde’s in a moment of curiosity. Being near this guy made him feel way less apprehensive than he’d first expected. It gave him a strange buzz that he’d never really experienced before. Just one touch could set his soul to flames.

Nope. Nope. Nope. Shut up Thomas, this is no time to be daydreaming. Focus, God dammit!

Two cameras had been placed on either side of them, plus a third in front and an additional fourth from a wider angle (five if you count Teresa filming for BTS footage, and six if you count Minho taking videos on his iPhone).

“Alright, so it’s pretty simple.” Alby called from his director’s chair through his megaphone. Newt threw his hoodie towards Gally, who graciously caught it in his left hand and moved it off set. “Just work through the dialogue, and make actions as you go along. Try to let it come naturally, okay? Remember, this is an important scene, and we want to get it just right.”

“Good luck, Tommy.” Newt had said soothingly into the boy’s left ear, just before Alby began the countdown. He nodded in appreciation; glad that the dim lighting around the set prevented the blond from seeing the conspicuous blush creep upon his cheeks.

“Okay, Camera Mark!” Alby called, as the Crew stood at the ready. “Bonfire scene, take one, action!”

As soon as the cameras had started rolling, Newt had changed his position to a casual slouch against the log, turning his body a little so he could face him without having to crook his neck too much. He’d spoken his lines like they’d merely fallen off the tip of his tongue, and Thomas soon found himself sinking into the scene.

The blond was undoubtedly one of the best actors Thomas had ever seen in his entire life. He spoke with such fluidity and without hesitation, and everything he did, every tone, every movement, it all fit so well with his character. He greatly admired the boy’s confidence to do practically anything without the slightest flinch, and it made him feel a little better about it himself.

“What happens to them?” Thomas said his line, insouciantly moving his eye-vision towards Newt, unknowingly keeping his eyes on him the entire time. He took a moment to soak in the blonde’s perfect features, his flawless skin in contrast with his pure as gold locks of hair. The flicker of lighting from behind their heads incased him in a honey-golden glow that only increased his perfection, if that were even possible.

“Well we call ‘em Grievers.” Newt turned his head and caught Thomas staring, and there was a profound moment when the two simply just eyed at each other, unable to break the cherished contact. At first, the brunette had wondered whether Newt had simply forgotten his next line, but it eventually became clear that he had no intention of saying it. He appeared to be trying his best not to crack a smile.

Thomas smirked a little; having found himself in the most awkward situation you could ever hope to find yourself in as an actor. He glanced at the blonde’s perfect lips, before turning his eyes back up to meet Newt’s.

It was only when he noticed the Brit begin to move in closer towards him that he felt a surge of panic course through his blood. Okay…now what?

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuckity-fucking fuck-

Was he really? Right now? Seriously? Shit!

Thomas felt his heart begin to race at an embarrassingly high speed, as he leaned in a little closer towards him, trying his best not to have his awkwardness overtake his blemished courage.

By then, Newt was so close; Thomas could feel the boy’s chilling breath sweeping tenderly against his skin, the Brit’s hand reaching to stroke down his arm in an almost comforting motion.

The blonde’s lips only just brushed against his, before—

Nope nopity-nope nope no!

Thomas completely lost his cool and turned his head away, bursting out into an uncomfortable fit of chuckles. Newt covered his mouth with the back of his hand and smirked, shaking his head and rolling his eyes, sending the entire cast and crew into an uproar of vulgar laughter.

“So shucking close.” Minho called from off set.

“You know, I think the fans would totally appreciate it if you guys just made out a little bit.” Teresa said with a wide grin.

“Especially Minho.” Ben added, and the Asian simply shot him the middle finger with a hinted side glare.

“Just kiss, God dammit!” Jeff yelled boisterously from the other side of set, and Alby would have called cut for the cameras to stop rolling, but he was way too busy snickering his bloody head off behind his megaphone.

Newt turned towards Thomas, a mischievous smile over his lips, as he tapped the side of his own cheek.

The brunette raised his eyebrows in somewhat disbelief, before awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. “Oh, uh, you want me to--”

“Just shut up and kiss me, ya’ bloody shank.” The blond said with an amorous smile, and Thomas could hear Frypan wolf-whistle from the other side of the field. He decided to man up a little bit, clearing his throat and edging that much closer to him.

He leaned over to plant a kiss on the boy’s cheek, but before he got the opportunity to protest, Newt grabbed him by the neckline of his shirt, pulling him to meet his tender lips. At that moment, Thomas felt as though his whole body was set on fire by a shockwave of uncontrollable electricity. The boy’s lips were so soft and warm, and the brunette felt himself begin to melt into the sweet touch. Newt’s hand was still on his chest, and he could feel the warmth of his skin through the fine material. This Brit was going to be the death of him.

It’d only been after they pulled away that Thomas had noticed the ridiculously rowdy round of applause ringing through the atmosphere, filled with whistles, laughter and a shit-load of cheering.

“Get in there, Greenie!” Alby had called through his megaphone. Literally every member of cast and crew had their eyes on them with beaming grins, and the brunette felt himself grow very much self-conscious. Well…shit.

“So shucking cannon!” Minho said, causing the main cast to chuckle amongst themselves.

Newt gave Thomas an affectionate nudge with his elbow, a slight flush still upon his pale skin. “Well…there you go, Greenie.”

“Does that happen with everyone you play chicken with, or am I just special?” He’d questioned, taking victory as the boy gave a flawless giggle, hiding himself behind his hand.

“Guess that’s for me to know and you to find out, ain’t it, Tommy?” He gave a smile, turning his eyes down to the ground with an adorable blush upon his skin. This boy was the ultimate personifications of pure perfection, and it made Thomas feel like the luckiest guy in the world.

…

The next day, Thomas was woken by the irritant buzz of his phone upon his sideboard. With a raucous groan of hindrance, the stretched his arm over his bedframe and grabbed his cheap-ass apple knockoff.

(Message from ‘GLADERS’)

Thomas raised an eyebrow. When the fuck did they add him to a group chat?

(Minho at 7:30 AM): G’morning bitches.

(Ben at 7:31 AM): It was until just now.

(Minho at 7:32 AM): Hear that? That’s the sound of me not giving a shit.

(Frypan at 7:33 AM): Nice to see you guys are getting along good.

(Teresa at 7:34 AM): Guys, it’s the shucking weekend, let me sleep god dammit!

(Newt at 7:34 AM): Morning.

(Alby at 7:35 AM): Good that.

(Gally at 7:36 AM): Morning.

(Ben at 7:36 AM): Morning.

(Thomas at 7:38 AM): Um…morning?

(Newt at 7:39 AM): Hey Tommy.

(Minho at 7:40 AM): AYE, IT’S THE GREENIE!

(Teresa at 7:41 AM): Sleep well, Tom?

(Thomas at 7:42 AM): Uh, yeah, I guess. What is this?

(Newt at 7:43 AM): It’s a group chat. Minho added you yesterday. Forgot to tell you.

(Alby at 7:44 AM): Hey, you guys, guess what.

(Gally at 7:45 AM): No thank you.

(Alby at 7:46 AM): We’re going camping.

(Ben at 7:48 AM): Shuck you.

(Minho at 7:49 AM): Oh great, that’s shucking GREAT! So shucking excited. -_-

(Teresa at 7:50 AM): Are you kidding me?

(Alby at 7:51 AM): It’s just for one night, okay? We’re doing a lot of night shoots for the attacks and stuff, so we’re going to work and sleep on set.

(Gally at 7:52 AM): If I you weren’t my boss, I’d punch you in the face.

(Frypan at 7:53 AM): Good that.

(Alby at 7:54 AM): I’ll send the details via email, but we’ll meet for lunch later today.

(Newt at 7:55 AM): Bloody hell.

(Minho at 7:56 AM): And I’m guessing the greenie’s gonna’ want to be sharing a tent with Newton, am I right?

(Thomas at 7:57 AM): Hey, shut up.

(Teresa at 7:58 AM): It’s true though.

(Newt at 7:59 AM): Hey, cool it guys. It’s not like he’s ever going to actually ask me out.

(Newt at 7:59 AM): Ain’t that right, Thomas?

(Thomas at 8:00 AM): Pfft, well I don’t know. Maybe I was building up to something.

(Newt at 8:01 AM): Ha-ha, is that so?

Thomas switched his phone off and sighed into the palm of his hand, sitting up a little straighter in his bed. Come to think of it, he’d never actually asked a guy out before. The only time he’d ever asked anyone out was for his end of year prom (and let’s just say that didn’t exactly turn out the way he’d planned). Apparently people don’t exactly go for guys who are socially impaired. I wonder why.

Thomas had found himself wondering how you’re even supposed to ask someone out? Do you just come right out and ask them? Should he plan ahead? What was he even supposed to say? Would it be rude to ask someone out over the phone? Thomas dragged his fingers through his hair and hid his face in his pillow.

“Right, time to Google search this bitch.” Thomas jumped from his bedside and grabbed his laptop from the table.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahaha…ahahaha…ahaa…I’m back…  
> I’M SO SORRY.  
> I don’t really have any excuse as to why I was away for so long…procrastination? I don’t know. BUT I AM BACK…PROBABLY…(I am a despicable human being.)  
> Whatever, let’s do this.  
> Note: my writing is seriously rusty since I haven’t written anything in…well you guys know…COUGH (sorry, please forgive me) COUGH

(Five months later…)

“Well, that’s kinda weird,” Thomas chuckled as he stared up at the giant-ass billboard of him and the rest of the Main Cast next to Glader studios. “Never seen my face so big before.”

“Eh, you’ll get used to it.” Ben reassured.

“Really?” Thomas said, still looking at the poster.

“Nope.” Ben laughed and Thomas gave him a snide look as the two of them passed by the office and made their way into the studio. As per usual they were greeted by the overworked employees and directed towards the set, despite the fact they knew perfectly well where it was after multiple months of shooting.

As they walked down the hall together, Ben gave a sigh and said, “So when you gonna’ ask Newt on a date?”

Thomas flinched. “Wha—I, um--”

“I mean, come on man. Sooner or later the guy’s gonna get tired of waiting.” Ben shrugged. “I’m not trying to push you or anything but, um, ah, how do I say this...hurry the shuck up Greenie!"

“Hey, hey, keep your voice down!” Thomas turned a slight red from embarrassment topped off with his socially impaired personality setting off sirens of impending doom. “It’s not that…easy.”

“Awwww,” Ben said in a mocking tone. “Poor icle Tommy can't ask Newty out on a date.”

“I’m serious, Ben!”

The boy shook his head, unable to keep a smile off his face. “You're overthinking this way too much Edison. Just...DON'T think about it for once and shucking go with it.” He then shrugged. “Though, I'll be honest, Newt does seem to have taken a fancy to your…um…interesting way of talking to people. Just be you. Apparently he likes that.”

Thomas gave a huff, knowing that Ben not so secretly found his uncomfortable persona tremendously amusing.

The two arrived at the set and dashed straight to hair and makeup to get dirtied up for the first scene.

They were shooting one of the last scenes of the movie which took place in a destroyed laboratory, which Thomas had thought sounded kind of exciting at the time. Since they'd finished doing all of their outdoor filming, the rest was green screen and in door studio setup, which wasn't too bad, though he did miss being out in the open.

As soon as Thomas stepped onto the set, he noticed a slightly drowsy Newt standing by one of the far camera marks talking with Alby about one of the follow up scenes, tapping his foot and biting his lip as he took in his directions, unknowingly making Thomas feel a little lightheaded.

“Hey, shuck face, quit staring at him you look like a pathetic lovesick shank,” Minho muttered as he joined Thomas and Ben at the edge of the set. The brunette blinked his eyes and hastily turned his head away from the blond, snapping himself out of his daydream. God dammit, he’d fucking done it again.

“Sorry…” he said hazily. For some reason his mind always found a way to trail back to Newt…and Thomas couldn’t help but keep thinking he was being way too creepy. What kind of guy stares at their crush from a far distance instead of actually talking to them? He truly hated himself sometimes.

“Ah, young love,” Minho sighed dramatically. “Isn’t it shucking beautiful.”

“Shut up,” Thomas muttered and Ben could scarcely control his sniggers. “It’s not funny.”

“Alright, Gladers!” Alby called through his microphone. “Places, places!”

The three boys paced over to the center of the set, as well as the rest of the cast, who were mostly busy running last minute lines so they didn't 'pull an Edison'. You see, ever since Thomas fucked up on his first take, the entire Main Cast had decided to form an inside joke; whenever someone missed a line, tripped on camera or conformed to any other rookie mistake, they'd call it 'pulling an Edison'. At first, the brunette had been rather pissed to say the least, but he'd somewhat gotten used to hearing those idiotic jokes.

Thomas found it a lot easier to work with just the Main Cast around him. The extras were always a major distraction to him, and though they were all rather friendly, they weren’t like the Main Cast. He’d grown to love them over the past few months and almost found them to be like family. It was comfortable. He'd hate to think of the experience ever ending.

“Guys, channel the shucking emotion!” Jeff howled as he pranced across the set, causing everyone to burst into laughter. “Today’s gonna be an emotional mother shucking day!”

“Slim it, Jeff,” Frypan said, though wasn’t able to stop himself from laughing as Jeff struck a fabulous pose with his left hip cocked to the side and his 'jazz-hands' in the air.

Thomas hadn’t noticed when Newt decided to move next to him. He’d only spotted him when the blonde gently nudged him with the side of his arm, catching him off guard. “Hey Tommy.”

“Hey,” He said back with a light smile.

“Did ya’ catch the billboard next door?”

Thomas laughed. “Kind of hard to miss, you know.” Newt giggled coyly and Thomas felt as though he might just faint. This guy was too cute.

“I guess.” Newt paused and began rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand, resting a small majority of his bodyweight against Thomas’ side, his head against the brunette's shoulder.

Thomas furrowed his brow in questioning. Usually Newt was always on the ball, sharp-eyed and ready for anything, though, he seemed a little off today. “You alright, Newt? You don’t look so good.”

Newt simply gave a small laugh and breathed a heavy sigh. “Just bloody tired, s’all. I’ll be fine once I get a bit of sleep.” Thomas still felt awfully concerned about it, though wasn’t sure if he should say anything and if it’d make things weird. “Don’t worry about me, Tommy. I’m fine.”

Thomas gave a troubled sigh, though Newt simply nuzzled up against Thomas' shoulder, enjoying the warmth being shared between them. “If you say so, Newt.”

Newt hummed in approval. “Hey, Tommy…can I ask you a question?” he said, a slight hesitation in his tone.

Thomas cleared his throat, being careful not to fidget too much so that Newt didn’t move from his shoulder. “Yeah sure.”

“...What would you say if I told you that I kinda like you?”

Thomas felt his heart stop as his voice caught in his throat. He took a moment to process before leading on to panic. Was he being serious? Of course he was…he couldn't imagine Newt joking about something like this...but why? Why him? Was this really happening? Did Newt really just say—

“Alright Gladers, scene one take one, Thomas get over here!” Alby bellowed impatiently.

Newt silently moved away from Thomas’ side, his eyes down to the ground, a blush of embarrassment rested upon his face. “Ah, never mind. Was bloody stupid--”

“Youwannagoforcoffeeorsomethingsometime?” Thomas spoke so fast that he’d barely managed to even comprehend the sentence before it’d left his mouth. Oh god, what the fuck was he doing. Fuuuuuuck…okay, man up Edison, you can do this shit.

Newt raised his eyebrows. “Um…sorry what was that?”

Thomas laughed awkwardly, pulling at the collar of his t-shirt. “I was just…um…do you like…wanna go out…some time…with me?”

Newt stood in silence for a moment, just staring at him with his gentle eyes and Thomas wasn’t entirely sure what the hell his brain was supposed to be doing. “Took you long enough.”

The brunette breathed a sigh of relief and shook his head. “Damn.”

“How’s Friday night sound?”

“Perfect.”

They heard the screech of Alby’s megaphone and winced at the sound of, “THOMAS, GET THE SHUCK OVER HERE YOU SHUCKING SHANK!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's kind of short but I promise to try to keep my head in the game (haha, High School Musical reference) Don't judge me, it was my childhood GOD.
> 
> In all seriousness though (wow, Hellen, you KNOW how to be serious??) no really, I am super sorry for my absence, and I'll try not to let it happen again :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out the trailer Kimi YAY made for my fic! I loorv it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxzk9L_Wvn0  
> She should be taking requests if anyone is interested in getting a trailer made for their fic :P
> 
>  
> 
> I want to give a big thanks for not being total douche bags about my absence. I had a bad experience on ff.net in which someone posted some PRETTY HORRID SHITE on my fic because I'd not updated. I know it's annoying and I'm making a vow to myself not to let it happen again because I know for a fact it's one of the most irritating things a fanfiction writer can do.
> 
> But yeah, thank you Ao3 people! I love you guys! YER ALL SO AMAZIN!! (A-maze-ing...troll)
> 
> but yeah, this chapter is short and not much happens, but just pull through until next chapter which I know will be better because it'll be under more exciting circumstances.  
> Anyway ENJOY :D

“Anyone ever told you that you look good in a suit?” Newt said with a cheeky grin on his face. Thomas cleared his throat hesitantly, the blonde’s flawless smile causing his heart to skip a beat. It wasn’t fair that Newt had so much power over him without even knowing it himself. Just the slightest glance made Thomas feel as though he’d never have to breathe again. It was sappy as shit, but what the fuck can you do?

“Thanks, you look pretty cute yourself.” Thomas said as he coughed into his hand out of pure anxiety. Newt simply snickered and looked coyly looked down to the floor, hiding the faint sight of a blush upon his cheeks. Twelve months ago, if someone had told Thomas that he’d one day go on a date with one of the most successful young actors of Hollywood, he’d have called total bullshit, and yet here he was, sitting opposite his crush in a fancy ass restaurant wearing a designer suit and carrying fifty-seven thousand dollars on his bank card.

“Thanks, Tommy.” Newt said. “You’re sweet.”

“Yeah…sure…so sweet I’ll rot your teeth.” At which point Newt choked into an outburst of chuckles, shaking his head a pinching the bridge of his nose in mock-pain. “Yeah that joke sounded way better in my head.”

“I’m sure it did.”

The night progressed rather smoothly. It was surprisingly quiet, one of the first nights they’d spent together when they hadn’t been assaulted with cameras. Thomas enjoyed the noiseless atmosphere, and he’d learnt how to be comfortable with just the two of them. Spending time with Newt made Thomas feel more alive than he’d ever let himself admit.

“You ready for the Q and A on Sunday?” Newt asked as he picked up his glass of whine from the table and elegantly took a small sip before placing it back down upon the counter.

Thomas raised his brow. “The what?”

“Don’t tell me you didn’t read the memo.”

Thomas had a look of plain confusion plastered across his face. “We get memos?”

The blond would have scowled if he hadn’t found the brunette’s confused expression to be so amusing. “Alby sent one out last week to all of us. He’s taking us to the Hollywood Film convention. They’re holding a Glader Studios Q and A to promote our new movie.”

“…Right…I knew that.” Thomas laughed awkwardly under his breath. “Um, so like, when’s it start? Who’s gonna’ be there?”

Newt traced his finger over the edge of his glass with a sigh. “Well, we’re meeting up to take the bloody studio bus down to the Hollywood Film Convention. Hella’ lot of fans are gonna’ be there for the Q and A, so it’ll be pretty buggin’ similar to talking directly at five thousand people give or take.”

Thomas paused, his throat turning dry. “S-sorry, did you say…five thousand?”

Newt bit his lip and Thomas dropped his forehead to the table, resting his skull against the surface as he solemnly wished for death to sweep him off his feet before Sunday morning. Five thousand fans…Thomas had trouble talking to a group of ten, let alone five thousand. God, the very thought of having to go to this event was the very equivalent of nails down a blackboard in Thomas’ mind.

“Hey, Tommy,” Thomas felt a gentle touch against his hair so soft it was almost comforting. He pulled his head up from the tabletop to catch Newt’s tender brown eyes. “Don’t let this whole bloody thing scare you, okay. It ain’t so bad. S’like having an everyday conversation with someone. No one cares if you say something stupid, if anything they’ll buggin’ love you for it. An’ I’ll be sitting right beside you for all of it. I know, it probably don’t count for much…but I hope you understand I’m gonna’ be there for you.”

The way Newt spoke with such compassion made Thomas feel embarrassingly good about himself. It made him feel special, like it allowed him to forget who he was for just a mere moment in time, and simply let his mind run wild, pretending to be whoever the fuck he wanted, and he couldn’t thank Newt enough for coming into his life.

…

“Last day of filming. God damn.” Minho rested his back against the green screen wall. Thomas, Ben and Teresa stood beside him, passing around a bottle of water as Alby set up the last few cameras. “Soon we’ll have nothing’ to worry about but shuck-faced reporters and boring ass interviews.”

“Unless of course Alby confirms the sequel.” Teresa corrected. 

“Ah, shuck. Forgot about the other two books. God dammit!” Minho groaned in irritation. Thomas simply laughed and shook his head. He’d gotten used to the guy’s constant complaining almost every day of the week. To be honest, it’d somewhat passed the stage of irritating and moved to rather entertaining.

“Hey, at least you guys get to BE IN THE SECOND MOVIE.” Ben exclaimed with a look of bitterness upon his face.

“Oh yeah…sorry ‘bout that man.” Minho smirked, patting his co-star on the back. Suddenly, the group heard a sudden violent clatter of falling metal and turned their heads towards the commotion.

A young woman with brown hair and dark brown eyes cursed beneath her breath as she stood over the fallen pieces of equipment, hastily falling to her knees to fleetingly pick up the mess before she got in trouble. Thomas took a moment to contemplate as to whether or not he should help her. After a few seconds passed by he decided to walk over and give her a hand, since no one else aside from him seemed willing.

She seemed rather surprised as Thomas knelt beside her and started picking up handfuls of the dropped equipment and putting it back in the box she’d been carrying them in.

“Oh, thanks.” She said rather uncertainly.

“Yeah, sure thing.” Thomas said as he picked up the box.

“…Um, aren’t you like, one of those other guys?” The girl said somewhat inconsolably. “You know, the ‘cool kids’.”

“Oh, right. You mean the main cast.” Thomas cleared his throat and gave an anxious titter. “Yeah…sorry about them. They’re not particularly good with strangers unless they have to be. Trust me, I know.”

The girl narrowed her eyes, before giving a gall smile. “You must be that Thomas guy everyone’s talking about.”

Thomas took a step back, taken by surprise. “Oh…people talk about me?”

“Well yeah,” she said as though it were blatantly obvious. “I mean you got the part in an A-list movie without any experience whatsoever. Of course they’d talk about you.” Thomas didn’t like the idea of people ‘talking about him’. He disliked the attention it drew, but it made sense. “You know I auditioned for the female lead earlier this year, but they chose Teresa instead. Apparently I’m a little too…tough, whatever the hell that means.”

“So you’re an extra in the glade?” Thomas questioned.

“Got that right. Name’s Brenda.” She said.

“Thomas…but…um, you already knew that…aha…” Thomas turned his head down, his mind screaming shut the fuck up, you don’t know what you’re doing so just…no.

Brenda smirked. “Well done.”

“Thanks.”

“THOMAS!” they heard Minho call from the other side of the green screen studio. “Get your klunky ass over here!”

Brenda rolled her eyes and snatched the box away from Thomas’ grasp. “I’ll take these back.”

“Um, yeah, sure whatever, um, yeah.” Thomas stammered over his own words again. Word vomit everywhere. Oh god.

“Hey, between you and me,” Brenda said, arching her left eyebrow. “Don’t let those guys fucking treat you like shit just because you’re new. If anything, you seem better than the rest of ‘em combined. Hollywood dick-heads…fuck that.”

Thomas found it rather strange how bitter she seemed to be towards the Main Cast, though it was understandable to some extent, considering she didn’t know them like he did. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I was having a little bit of a mind block so this chapter is just to fill in. I can guarantee that next chapter will be way better because Q and A :P 
> 
> Also...COUGH there is going to be a slight Brenda/Thomas one sided thing going on fairly soon (because, who doesn't want jelly Newt. I certainly want jelly Newt)
> 
> ANYWAY...  
> Thanks for reading hope you enjoyed and yes I know this chapter wasn't all that great but I had the urge to upload something plus I'm excited for next chapter so I wanted to get this part out of the way :)


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